Wire-stretcher.



B. A. SELLER. WIRE STRETCHER.

APPLICATION FILED APR.27. 1916.

1,219,?55. Patented Jan. 2,1917.

I WITNESSES BY fldwn ATTOR N EY 1n: uonms FETERS Cc. "(orb-undo" wAsNlNGY-DN. n c

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BERNARD A. BELLER, OF BUEYEBOS, NEW MEXICO.

WIRE-STRETCHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 2, 1917.

Application filed April 27, 1916. Serial No. 93,951.

To all whom/it may concern Be it known that I, BERNARD A. BELLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bueyeros, in the county of Union and State of New Mexico, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wire-Stretchers, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in a wire stretcher.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a wire stretcher which is simple and inexpensive in construction and which may be easily moved from place to place.

A further object of the invention is the provision of means for supporting the wire I stretcher and for securing it to a post.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of means for holding the wire in stretched position.

Another object of the invention is the provision of means for adjusting the attaching mechanism whereby the same may be ad justed to adapt itself to posts of different diameters.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the novel details of construction and arrangement of .parts which will be more clearly understood from the following description and drawings,in which,

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation showing the stretcher in position ready for use,

Fig. 2 is a top plan view showing the stretcher in position ready for use, and Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view.

In the drawings the numeral 1 indicates a corner post and 2 indicates an intermediate post. Each of the posts 1 and 2 are braced by means of stay wires 3. I

My stretcher comprises a bar 4 having a housing secured at one end, said housing comprising the spaced plates 5 and 6, more particularly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing. This housing is preferably formed of a single strip of material bent to form the plates 5 and 6 and arms 7 and 8 which engage the sides of the bar 4 and are secured thereto by bolts or other suitable fastening means indicated at 9. A drum 10 is rotatably mounted between the plates 5 and 6 of the housing and a ratchet wheel 11 is connected to the drum on the outside of the plate 5 and is adapted to be engaged by a pawl 12 hingedly connected to the plate 5. A crank handle 13 is secured to the drum for rotating the same. A roller or pulley 14 is mounted between the plates 5 and 6 at the lower edge thereof and as is more particularly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, the lower edge of this pulley or roller is below the lower edge of the plate and the said roller or pulley lies on a plane beneath that of the drum 10.

An inverted U-shaped retainer 15 isre movably mounted between the outer end of the housing and the ad acent partition 16, while the enlarged vertex of the retainer 15 rests on and is positionedabove the upper edge of the housing. A wire engaging plate 17 is swung from the vertex of the retainer 15 and the purpose of which will be presently described. I

A block 18 is secured to the outer side of the plate 5 and has an opening extending vertically therethrough to receive a rod 19 which is held in position by means of a setscrew 20. A rod 21 ishingedly connected to the rod 19 at 22 and is preferably provided with an enlarged end portion indicated at 23.

The end of the bar 4, opposite to that to which the housing is secured, is provided on each side with an arm 24 which extends parallel with the bar. A point or prong 25 is formed on each of the arms 24 and is adapted to engage the post 2, as is more clearly indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawing. A pulley 2'5 is removably mounted between each of the arms 24 and bar 4 by a bolt 26, the outer end thereof being engaged by a nut 27 and the purpose of this will be presently described. An'eye 27 is secured to the end of the bar and a chain 28 is secured to said eye and is adapted to extend around the post 2, as indicated more clearly in Fig. 2 of the drawing. A block 29 is slidably mounted upon the bar 4 and has a hook 30 formed on each side thereof adapted to be engaged by the free end of the chain 28. It is to be understood that the engagement between the block and the bar is sufiiciently close to permit of an efficient frictional engagement between these parts and at the same time it is such that the block is capable of being moved into an adjusted position.

A chain 31 is adapted to be secured to, and wound upon the drum 10 and said chain, when in use, will pass beneath the roller or pulley 14. A suitable clamping member 32 is formed on the end of the chain 31 for engaging the wire to be stretched.

I have designated the wire, which is to be stretched at 33 and said wire is adapted to have one end secured to the corner post 1 and then passed through the eye 6 beneath the swinging plate 17 over one of the pul-' leys 26,'and is then secured to the clamp 32 on the chain 31. v V Having fully described the details of construction it is thought that the operation and advantages will be clearly understood. l/Vhen it is desired to use the stretcher, one of the prongs 25 is engaged with the intermediate post 2 and the rod 21 is swung downwardly so that the enlargement 23 thereon engages the ground. In this manner the stretcher is supported. The wire to be stretched is secured at one end to the corner post 1 and then engaged by the retainer 15 and positioned beneath thefiswinging plate 17. The pulley 26 is removed and engaged about the wire and again mounted,

the wire being finally secured to the clamp 32 carried by the chain 31 which is adapted to be Wound upon the drum 10. The drum 10 is rotated by means of the crank-handle 13 and as the chain 31 is wound upon the drum, it will stretch the wire. The pawl 12 engaging-the ratchet wheel 11 prevents the chain from unwinding and the chain passing beneath the roller or pulley 14 pre-' vents any binding and allows the free action of thechain. Should it be desired to take an extra grip upon the wire 33 it is only necessary to loosen the clamp 32 and reengage it with the wire. To prevent the wire, which has already been stretched, from slackening, I provide the swinging plate 17 which engages the upper surface of the wire and thereby prevents it from slackening. The rod 19 may be adjusted, in relation to the housing, by loosening the set-screw 20 and sliding the rod 19 through the opening in the block 18. As is clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings the chain 28 is adapted to encircle the post 2 and said chain is tightened by means of the sliding block 29. The

outer end of the bar, winding means mount ed in the housing, a U-shaped wire guide slidably and removably mounted in the outer end of the housing, and a retaining plate pivotally connected to and depending from the intermediate portion of theguide and cooperating with the upper edge-0f the housing whereby to removably hold a piece of wire to prevent the wire from, slacking while the winding means is being adjusted.

2. A wire stretcher comprising afbar, a housing secured to one end of the bar, arms formed on the opposite end of the bar, prongs formed on the arms, pulleys rotatably mounted between the bar and arms, a drum rotatably mounted within the housing, a pulley removably mounted in the housing, a chain secured to the drum, a clamp-secured to the chain, 'a retainer slidably and removably mounted in the housing, a plate pivotally conneetedto the retainer, a rod adjustably connected to the housing, a support hingedly'connected to the rod, a block slidably mounted upon the bar, and a chain connected to the bar and adapted to engage I the sliding block.

' In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BERNARD A. BELLER. Witnesses: JAMES B. ANDERSON, EUPLIO BAoo.- 1

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

' Washington, D. 0. 

